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Central Standard

Low Rider Culture on Display

Low rider cars aren’t the type of vehicles that drive by unnoticed. The low chrome rims, killer paint jobs, normally accompanied with a bumpin' sound system to go with it, sub woofers and hydraulics all grab attention of those it passes. These cars are often stigmatized as being related to gangsters, but on this Central Standard we learn about research that disputes that common misconception.

Ben Chappell, assistant professor of American studies at The University of Kansas, authored the book Lowrider Space: Aesthetics and politics of Mexican American Custom Cars. He shares his research from the book that explains the subculture of low-rider cars and how the customization of these vehicles becomes a form of personal expression for its owners.

 

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Central Standard Mexican American
Every part of the present has been shaped by actions that took place in the past, but too often that context is left out. As a podcast producer for KCUR Studios and host of the podcast A People’s History of Kansas City, I aim to provide context, clarity, empathy and deeper, nuanced perspectives on how the events and people in the past have shaped our community today.<br/><br/>In that role, and as an occasional announcer and reporter, I want to entertain, inform, make you think, expose something new and cultivate a deeper shared human connection about how the passage of time affects us all. Reach me at hogansm@kcur.org.
Matthew Long-Middleton has been a talk-show producer, community producer, Media Training Manager and now the Community Engagement Manager at KCUR. You can reach him at Matthew@kcur.org, or on Twitter @MLMIndustries.